Red Sox Set New Franchise Record With 23 Strikeouts, Win 11th Straight Game On Weird Ass Play At The Plate
When you win 11 games in a row, you’re going to have low-scoring games, high-scoring games, close games, blowouts, walk-offs, great pitching performances, poor pitching performances, late-inning comebacks, late-inning failures, late-inning heroics, extra-inning games, and late-inning fuckery.
In Boston’s 11th consecutive victory, which marked their third consecutive sweep of a divisional opponent, the Red Sox won a low-scoring, one-run, extra-inning game, which included late-inning failures, late-inning heroics, and was capped off with some late-inning fuckery, while also setting a franchise record by striking out 23 batters. This game had it all. Still campaigning for a start in Game 3 of a postseason series, Eduardo Rodriguez had one of his best starts ever, striking out 13 batters in 5.1 innings, allowing just 3 hits. The last 11 outs that Rodriguez recorded were all strikeouts.
Since Rodriguez was recalled from Pawtucket on July 16, he’s made 13 starts and has a 3.10 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 72.2 innings. Over that span, of the Red Sox starters who have made at least 5 starts, Rodriguez has the second lowest ERA and the second lowest WHIP (1.10) on the Red Sox staff, both, of course, are behind Rick Porcello. But facts are facts. Since Rodriguez has returned from his mid-summer demotion, he’s been one of the best starters on the staff, which is why it baffles me that we’re even talking about a competition here. There’s no competition. Rodriguez is your guy in Game 3.
Dustin Pedroia’s heating up again. He went through a little 2-for-29 slump, but had the game-winning grand slam on Saturday, and hit another homer on Sunday, which also gave the Red Sox a lead, only this one they were unable to hold. Matt Barnes came on in the 8th, and allowed a pair of singles, before John Farrell made the decision to bring in his third string lefty, Fernando Abad. Right on cue, Abad gave up the game-tying base hit on the second pitch he threw, and that was his evening.
Joe Kelly took over from there, and let me just tell you how wrong I was about Kelly. Kind of. My take prior to his most recent call-up was that he would not be a successful reliever, because he allowed too many base runners. That was true, both as a starting pitcher and when the St. Louis Cardinals tried him out as a reliever during his time there. But apparently something has changed, because since his most recent call-up on September 2, Kelly has made 9 appearances, and he’s struck out 15 batters compared to just 3 walks in 11.1 innings with an ERA of 0.00. Opponents are hitting .195 with a .445 OPS against him over that span, and he gave the Red Sox 2.2 shutout innings of relief on Sunday with 4 strikeouts.
In all, the Red Sox combined for 23 strikeouts with Rodriguez leading the way with 13, Heath Hembree with 5, Barnes with 1, and Kelly with 4. But despite all of those strikeouts, the Rays actually still had a really good chance to win this game, even getting the tying run at second base and the winning run at first base in the bottom of the tenth.
At the top of the frame, David Ortiz drove a ball into the gap, which brought Pedroia around from third, but LOOK AT WHERE HE IS WHEN THE CATCHER GETS THE BALL.
He’s gotta be out by at least 18-ish feet. At least. Pedroia pulled off some ninja shit to get in there and score the go-ahead run, which ended up being the game-winner. With that win, the Red Sox magic number to clinch the American League East is now down to 2, which could become 1 if the Blue Jays lose tonight (the Red Sox are off). The Red Sox are a major-league best 18-5 in the month of September, and anybody who thinks they’re “peaking too soon” is an idiot. There’s no such thing as winning too many games. This is exactly what we’ve been waiting to see all year. We’ve been waiting for them to hit, and have good starting pitching and relief pitching simultaneously all season long, and it’s all coming together at the perfect time.
Final score: Red Sox 3, Rays 2